Chroma Key: Everything You Need to Know about It

Chroma Keying was mainly used in official media, including news and weather broadcasting. In recent years, with the development of We Media, more and more people are making their videos with Chroma Key. Therefore, more and more people are curious about it. This article will give the basic information about this technique. Let's dive in!

What is Chroma Key and How to Use It

Chroma Key, or Chroma Key Compositing, is the visual effect of layering two or more images or video streams together based on color hues. This technique has been used in many fields, including the news, motion pictures, and video games, to remove a background from the subject of a photo or video.

It can be done with backgrounds of any color, but green and blue backgrounds are more commonly used because they differ most distinctly in hue from the skin color of any human race. So, we often say people use the term green screen or blue screen to refer to it.

How to use it? Well, to use the Chroma Key technique, you just need to find a large, flat, solid color background (green or blue is best), wear clothes that are different from the background color, and then use software to stream or record the green screen webcam.

Chroma Key Tips

To get a satisfying result from Chroma Key, you need to take care of the following factors:

1. 1. Prepare a digital camera or smartphone.
2. 2. Find a cloth or flat to be your background. It is better to use a green or blue one.
3. 3. Wear clothes that differ in color from the background. Otherwise, you will fade into the background.
4. 4. Use battery-powered LEDs or hot lights for lightning. If you don't have these, a practical lamp or bulb will work, too.
5. 5. Prepare editing software that comes with Chroma Key already, like Adobe Premiere Pro and iMovie.

Green Screen vs Blue Screen

Green and blue, which color is the best? Well, it all depends on the circumstances of your shoot. Let's explain:

Lighting

Why does lightning matter? The key factor is the amount of light a color reflects. A green background has a much higher luminosity than a blue one. So, a green screen is a better choice for daytime shooting to make you look bright. In comparison, a blue screen is often used when you don't need so much light.

Costumes and hair color

If the scene you're shooting absolutely requires a character to wear green, you should use a blue background, and vice versa. Also, if your hair color is blond, you'd better choose a blue screen.

Environment

If you're filming in the woods where almost everything is green, a blue screen is a better choice for you. If water takes up a large part of the scene, then green is the way to go.

Conclusion

We hope you have known enough about Chroma Key after reading this article. If you find it helpful in explaining what Chroma Key is, share it with more people now!